TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham announced on Tuesday the promotion of Ben Hofstetter to Senior Associate Athletics Director, Digital & Strategic Engagement.
Hofstetter will join Cunningham's executive staff, while continuing to oversee The Agency, a team of 11 full-time employees which handles the department's digital, social, creative, branding and athletic communications.
"Ben has been an indispensable member of our athletic department team for several years and I'm excited to have him join our executive staff while continuing to lead The Agency," said Cunningham. "Under Ben's leadership, our creative, digital and communications teams have produced engaging content for our fans and student-athletes, increasing the visibility of the Cincinnati Bearcats brand and crafted revenue-generating strategies. He's earned this opportunity, and I'm looking forward to what bold ideas he will implement next."
Under Hofstetter, The Agency has led the charge to "Sell & Story Tell" a pillar of Cunningham's Next Level Success strategic plan. In the last 18 months, UC has committed to telling its story in new, unique ways in an effort to sell tickets, grow revenue and drive the Bearcats brand nationally.
With Hofstetter leading the way, The Agency produced award-winning and groundbreaking content in 2021-22. UC's main athletic department social media account, @GoBearcats, ranked No. 1 in the nation in Twitter interactions and Instagram growth, while GoBearcats.com traffic saw an increase in traffic of 193% in one year. The Agency-produced digital series "Let It Fly" was nominated for an Emmy, while media mentions produced more than $2.5 billion in ad value for the 2021 football season.
Additionally, Hofstetter leads brand messaging and strategy with university and conference partners, including directing UC's efforts to join the Big 12, while collaborating with the American Athletic Conference for its football championship game and the College Football Playoff in 2021.
Hofstetter led the preparation for ESPN College GameDay's first-ever appearance on UC campus. More than two million viewers watched the show, which essentially served as three-hour commercial for the University of Cincinnati and the athletic department.
This summer, football sold out of season tickets for the first time in school history, as well.
Hofstetter was promoted to lead The Agency in 2021 after excelling in his role as the Associate AD, Digital from 2019 to 2021. He has led the department's digital, design and storytelling initiatives for all 18 programs for more than three years.
"Ben is an innovator, strategic thinker and a leader in the creative and digital space," said Anthony DiFino, Deputy AD, External. "He's a problem-solver who brings out the best from those that work with him. This past year, Ben wore many hats. He was instrumental in the planning and execution of ESPN College GameDay, the College Football Playoff and the successful throwback men's basketball game, among countless initiatives."
Hofstetter joined the University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics in 2017 as Associate AD, Strategic Initiatives working directly with the Director of Athletics on special projects, including playing an integral role in the 2018 Fifth Third Arena renovation project, leading a multi-channel marketing campaign to promote the venue's new amenities, seating options, and sponsorship and naming opportunities. The campaign culminated in back-to-back season ticket sellouts for men's basketball in 2018-19 and 2019-20, the first two seasons in the renovated arena before hitting capacity limitations from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he led the implementation of Salesforce, the department's first customer relationship management system.
Hofstetter started his career at the University of Cincinnati in 2008. Before joining the Department of Athletics, he served the University of Cincinnati's Office of the President from 2012 to 2017 as Special Assistant/Digital Media. He oversaw the office's digital communications, including university websites and social media accounts. He established then-president Santa Ono's @PrezOno Twitter account as a leader in the higher-ed social media space. Hofstetter earned a bachelor of fine arts in electronic media with a minor in marketing from the University of Dayton.
The lifelong Bearcats fan and his wife, Colleen, live in Cincinnati with their three children, Matthew, Mitchell and Mia.
ABOUT CINCINNATI ATHLETICS
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 500 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 117 conference titles. The Cincinnati men's basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs all-time, while the football team became the first American Athletic Conference program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among the several luminaries who have competed as Bearcats.
UC student-athletes collectively posted a 3.369 overall GPA in the spring of 2021 with 77 percent earning spots on the Honor Roll, while six student-athletes collected CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, UC Athletics' mission is to connect our community, enhance our University and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
For more information visit gobearcats.com.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
-GoBEARCATS.com-
Hofstetter will join Cunningham's executive staff, while continuing to oversee The Agency, a team of 11 full-time employees which handles the department's digital, social, creative, branding and athletic communications.
"Ben has been an indispensable member of our athletic department team for several years and I'm excited to have him join our executive staff while continuing to lead The Agency," said Cunningham. "Under Ben's leadership, our creative, digital and communications teams have produced engaging content for our fans and student-athletes, increasing the visibility of the Cincinnati Bearcats brand and crafted revenue-generating strategies. He's earned this opportunity, and I'm looking forward to what bold ideas he will implement next."
Under Hofstetter, The Agency has led the charge to "Sell & Story Tell" a pillar of Cunningham's Next Level Success strategic plan. In the last 18 months, UC has committed to telling its story in new, unique ways in an effort to sell tickets, grow revenue and drive the Bearcats brand nationally.
With Hofstetter leading the way, The Agency produced award-winning and groundbreaking content in 2021-22. UC's main athletic department social media account, @GoBearcats, ranked No. 1 in the nation in Twitter interactions and Instagram growth, while GoBearcats.com traffic saw an increase in traffic of 193% in one year. The Agency-produced digital series "Let It Fly" was nominated for an Emmy, while media mentions produced more than $2.5 billion in ad value for the 2021 football season.
Additionally, Hofstetter leads brand messaging and strategy with university and conference partners, including directing UC's efforts to join the Big 12, while collaborating with the American Athletic Conference for its football championship game and the College Football Playoff in 2021.
Hofstetter led the preparation for ESPN College GameDay's first-ever appearance on UC campus. More than two million viewers watched the show, which essentially served as three-hour commercial for the University of Cincinnati and the athletic department.
This summer, football sold out of season tickets for the first time in school history, as well.
Hofstetter was promoted to lead The Agency in 2021 after excelling in his role as the Associate AD, Digital from 2019 to 2021. He has led the department's digital, design and storytelling initiatives for all 18 programs for more than three years.
"Ben is an innovator, strategic thinker and a leader in the creative and digital space," said Anthony DiFino, Deputy AD, External. "He's a problem-solver who brings out the best from those that work with him. This past year, Ben wore many hats. He was instrumental in the planning and execution of ESPN College GameDay, the College Football Playoff and the successful throwback men's basketball game, among countless initiatives."
Hofstetter joined the University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics in 2017 as Associate AD, Strategic Initiatives working directly with the Director of Athletics on special projects, including playing an integral role in the 2018 Fifth Third Arena renovation project, leading a multi-channel marketing campaign to promote the venue's new amenities, seating options, and sponsorship and naming opportunities. The campaign culminated in back-to-back season ticket sellouts for men's basketball in 2018-19 and 2019-20, the first two seasons in the renovated arena before hitting capacity limitations from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he led the implementation of Salesforce, the department's first customer relationship management system.
Hofstetter started his career at the University of Cincinnati in 2008. Before joining the Department of Athletics, he served the University of Cincinnati's Office of the President from 2012 to 2017 as Special Assistant/Digital Media. He oversaw the office's digital communications, including university websites and social media accounts. He established then-president Santa Ono's @PrezOno Twitter account as a leader in the higher-ed social media space. Hofstetter earned a bachelor of fine arts in electronic media with a minor in marketing from the University of Dayton.
The lifelong Bearcats fan and his wife, Colleen, live in Cincinnati with their three children, Matthew, Mitchell and Mia.
ABOUT CINCINNATI ATHLETICS
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 500 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 117 conference titles. The Cincinnati men's basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs all-time, while the football team became the first American Athletic Conference program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among the several luminaries who have competed as Bearcats.
UC student-athletes collectively posted a 3.369 overall GPA in the spring of 2021 with 77 percent earning spots on the Honor Roll, while six student-athletes collected CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, UC Athletics' mission is to connect our community, enhance our University and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
For more information visit gobearcats.com.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
-GoBEARCATS.com-